Way behind but that means I am crafting instead of writing!

The road to somewhere is paved with good intentions, right? Well I had intended to be better at keeping this blog updated but ended up doing more crafts than writing about them.  So I am playing catch-up now...I think I have included all of my recent projects.  

Baby closet dividers....bristol board and card stock....hang on closet rod to separate clothes into sizes. The dividers tie on to the closet rod with satin ribbon.

Magazine rack - started out as an old brown rack, I painted and distressed the rack with chalk paint.

Baby hats - two strands of yarn knitted into fun little head warmers.

More baby hats using two strands of yarn.

Am I hat obsessed?  Yes, another hat! 

Lightweight ivory hat with tassel.

Chalk painted table using Americana Deco chalky paint, layered then sanded back (I used candle wax to make a resist so the paint sanded off easier). Topcoated with Fusion beeswax and hemp oil - smooth!

For Jake and Elwood for their first Christmas!

Lightweight baby hat.

Table numbers for upcoming wedding. Bristol board, cut, scored and embossed with white ink; used my Cricut machine to make numbers and flowers. The numbers will sit tent-style on the tables.

Bamboo wood, painted with black and lettered with white acrylic - sanded back to distress. Wire hanger and raffia. Topcoated with GF High Performance topcoat.

More closet dividers made of bristol board and card stock; stickers of animals. Tie with satin ribbon to closet rod.

Purple and ivory two strand hat, pom pom.

Hats for Jake and Elwood.  Square with tassels.

Chest for Jake and Elwood....I forgot to take a before pic...it was brown and kind of beat up and one drawer was broken.  I made chalk paint using Pixie Dust - white chest, Fusion Inglenook paint for drawers, blue stripe of Americana chalky paint. Top coated with Verathane water based top coat. Sprayed the handles and knobs with white enamel.  Replaced the broken drawer with a shelf to hold baskets.

Big project - transformed my kitchen with paint.

More of the kitchen....Uppers in the "U" section are white, lowers black. On the stove wall, all the cupboards are black.  Gray walls, new flooring below - I tiled both the kitchen and front entranceway.

Multicolored baby hat - shower gift. 

More closet dividers for a baby gift.

That's it for now, will write more when I have time. I am in the middle of a big transformation project involving an old entertainment unit.

www.sulane.com

penandinkwell@yahoo.com

You're not really crafting if your hands stay perfectly manicured!

Time to play catch up again!  I've been very busy with projects and I need to discipline myself to post regularly. I know that many other crafters know how that is. It is more fun to craft than to sit at the computer most days!

So here are my latest projects, the ones I can post at least. I have a big one that is going to remain hidden for a bit since it is a wedding shower gift and I don't want to tip off the bride that there is a surprise for her and her groom.

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This canvas project is a keepsake gift for a bridal shower that took place last month.  Shane and Melissa are getting married on April 6th and I wanted to commemorate the event for them.

Using their home color scheme as a guide, I created this small canvas that sits on a wooden plate stand.  I used acrylic paints for this piece. A wooden heart adds dimension to the canvas. Eyelet lace surrounds the perimeter. Congrats!

And here is the happy bride-to-be at the shower displaying the new sign.

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This window frame piece was originally a cupboard door (from what I could tell). It was for sale for a great price so I couldn't resist!  Using chalk paint I have basecoated the piece in one of my favorite turquoise shade of blue.  From there I made a crackle layer with mucilage school glue. (I found some that was in a pen-like container so it made it really easy to apply!) After the glue got tacky I then brushed white chalk paint over top and like magic it crackled.  I sealed the whole piece with my fave General Finishes High Performance Topcoat.

For accent, I attached a long country garland that had beads, rusty hearts and leaves.  Down the road I may put photos behind the glass but for now I like it as it is.

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A plain wooden plaque painted with acrylic paints is for a new baby girl. After painting and lettering I glued a wooden heart to the plaque to add dimension.  Light distressing along the edges adds a bit of character. This baby girl truly is made of sugar and spice and everything nice!

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Back in 2014 I picked up the file cabinet (featured in an earlier blog update) and a walnut wooden table. Time was at a premium so I didn't start working on the table until recently.

After a good cleaning, I started 'slopping' on three different colors of chalk paint all over the table surfaces.  It almost looked like a bright camouflage pattern. After that was dry, I put a coat of white chalk paint on top of the entire piece. Then came the fun part....I wet distressed the white, rubbing to expose the various shades of blue and a bit of the walnut original wood.

After I was happy with the look I waxed the table with clear wax and then highlighted different areas with dark wax. It will become my sewing table.

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I am always happy to donate items to local fundraisers and this scarf is a good example. It will be included in the silent auction grouping for a church sale. Using double strands of yarn, this long scarf with fringe is lightweight cotton so is suitable for accessorizing on not-so-chilly days and evenings.

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That's it for now. I am thinking of re-vamping the way I present this blog so may be making some changes in the future.

Thank you for stopping by.

You can reach me at penandinkwell@yahoo.com

I am also on Pinterest at

http://www.pinterest.com/sue_montgomery/

and also on Facebook at 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handcrafted-Projects-by-Sue-Lane/105487656209042?ref=hl

Welcoming 2015 and Catching Up

With the holiday season now over, it is time to play catch up.  I had many projects that I did not post in my blog since they were presents. Now that the gifts have been given, I can share the items and also showcase some other projects I have recently been working on.

  This gray scarf  was knit with acrylic yarn in a seed stitch pattern. 

It is toasty warm and is being modeled by the recipient.

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 Three chalk painted mini mason jars are fun and cute. Sisal rope accents these display jars.

A birdcage and you don't have a bird? Of course!  This started out as a white birdcage. After a good cleaning and disposing of the tray, it was time to have some fun. It was a freebie find so I had nothing to lose.  I painted it with Americana Decor chalk paint in Treasure which is like turquoise.  Silly me painted it by hand with a brush even though spraying would have been so much easier.  After that I top coated it with General Finishes HP Topcoat.  I tied an organza ribbon on the top and it flows over both sides.  I made a new bottom for the cage and inside I have begun storing vintage mason jars (that will remain unpainted). It is a fun piece and a conversation starter.

For fun I wanted to letter a favorite verse onto a chalk painted end table. Using General Finishes milk paint in Coastal Blue, this went on so smoothly and only one coat of the paint was needed for coverage.  I like using the GF milk paint more than acrylics for lettering now!

This is an ink and colored pencil personalized art sign. The wording in the background is all business related terms to showcase what Braeden is interested in.  I superimposed the graph bars over top of the background lettering.

Zachery is interested in art and architecture so for his design I used ink and colored pencils also. 

The background is zentangle inspired curves.

Zoe likes girly things so I created this flower zentangle for her with ink and colored pencils. The background is lots and lots of fine dots.

I have shown this blanket in an earlier blog post but I like it even more now that the special little one is modelling it!

This cowl was knit with acrylic yarn and worked in a seed stitch using two strands of yarn -

 burgundy and gray.

This scarf photographed brighter than it actually is, it is a darker red. It is long and features fringe and made in a seed stitch.

This is a fine gray ski band - airy texture and more for fashion than for warmth. The center has a band that looped over it for extra detail.

 This bright red and gray min cowl is for a toddler. I used two strands of yarns - red and gray, it  will keep her toasty warm.

I got this yarn at the factory outlet and don't know what it is called but it is fuzzy and super soft. I made a double looped infinity scarf  in one long strip then connected the ends to form a big loop.

This started out as a reddish-brown metal planter with an embossed pattern. I basecoated it with white chalk paint and then came back over it with the Americana Deco Treasure chalk paint. From there I sanded back to reveal white and also the original metal colors. Topped with two coats of Americana cream wax this is a cute decor accessory.

A new little boy will soon be arriving so here is a sign for his room.. It is a wooden plaque that I basecoated with white chalk paint. Then I used gray acrylic to paint an anchor. From there I used General Finishes milk paint in Coastal Blue to do the lettering and trim. For the floating color on the edges I just dipped my partially loaded paint brush into water to dilute the Coastal Blue color and then scruffed the mixture around the edges. The finishing was done with GF HP Topcoat.

Not to let any jars go to waste here is one that I painted with the Americana Deco Treasure color chalky paint and then drybrushed with white. After two coats of GF HP Topcoat I tied an organza ribbon along the rim.

This was a fun project - I layered chalk paints - Americana Decor Treasure and Grammie's Recipe Chalk Paint in Teal Lake. Then I white washed the entire shelf. From there I taped off random rectangle shapes and began by filling the shapes in with the two colors above. I did some light distressing and then completed the shelf with two coats of GF HP Topcoat.

I am just about caught up now, will post again soon.  Thank you for looking.

You can find me on Pinterest at 

http://www.pinterest.com/sue_montgomery/

and also on Facebook at 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handcrafted-Projects-by-Sue-Lane/105487656209042?ref=hl

If you wish to contact me I can be reached at penandinkwell@yahoo.com